Cloud 42
by ItsClaStevOffical
Summary: Dr Isles and Detective Rizzoli have only one week to fall in love or face dire consequences...but they don't know it! With a little helping hand from upon high, will they work it out in time! Rizzles! I own nothing but my imagination.
1. Chapter 1

Nobody expected that on a bright summer's day in August, the city of Boston would lose three of its finest. A routine crime scene had meant that Detective Rizzolis Sr and Jr had arrived together. The ME, Dr Maura Isles, arrived not too far behind.

Frankie was already interviewing witnesses, jotting down information to pass along to the team the minute they got back to the station. He was on cloud 9. His proposal to Nina and her acceptance still caused a lopsided smile to rest easily on his stubbled face.

A two-car traffic accident that would usually be dealt with by uniforms had quickly become something more when one of the first officers on the scene noticed a reddish-brown substance leaking from the trunk of the one hit from behind. He held off from touching the vehicles. Both drivers were being treated by paramedics, with Korsak hanging close by in order to interview them both as soon as he had permission from the medics. He was pretty sure at least one of them had been drinking. The smell of hard liqueur hung in the air with every word or breath the guy took.

Detective Jane Rizzoli stood stoically by the trunk as the officer explained what he had found. Crouching down, she inspected the substance that she was convinced was blood; she expected there would be a body inside too, but she would wait for Dr Isles.

Patience had never really been a virtue of the detective's, and even with Maura, she had little of it, but right now as she watched the ME go to work with all her swabs and photographs, she couldn't help but have a little bit of admiration. She was meticulous. Jane couldn't understand how it was that she could wander around a crime scene, completely ignoring the biggest clue in the room as she went through her own tick list of things to check, register, and take samples of.

They had been friends for several years now. She had never had a friend like Maura Isles, and she was pretty sure that went both ways. There was something about Maura that just pulled Jane in; she was a like a magnet, and Jane was iron.

She was immaculate as usual, and Jane noticed that she was wearing a new dress. She knew all of Maura's dresses, though she wouldn't admit the reason why she knew them all, not out loud; she barely acknowledged it herself. Maura Isles was stunning. Maura Isles was her best friend, her reason for being. She was the one person on this planet that Jane would listen to and do anything for, and she did mean anything. The only problem was…she hadn't told Maura, and she wouldn't. Because losing Maura Isles just wasn't an option.

"Maura?"

"I'll be right there, Jane," she called back, her attention still on the job in hand, pointing to tyre marks for the crime scene photographer to capture.

Jane rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on, and her stomach was rumbling. It had been a long time since breakfast when Maura had insisted on egg white omelettes with spinach and feta cheese. She hated the green stuff, but she ate it anyway because Maura had smiled that sweet smile as she handed off the plate.

"Okay, so we have a reddish-brown liquid…"

"It's blood, Maura," Jane said, rolling her eyes at her colleague's refusal to call it what it was.

"Jane, until I have it back in the lab and can test it properly, it's a reddish- "

"Brown stain, yeah, I got it, Maura. Can we open the trunk or what?" Jane asked, pulling on a pair of latex gloves and snapping the wrist. Dr Isles rolled her eyes at her impatience. "We could have a live one in there."

"Not with this amount of reddish-brown substance you don't." She smirked and found the detective holding her gaze, trying not to smile back. "Once I am done with the external area of the car, Josh will open the trunk," she continued, thumbing over her shoulder at the middle-aged lab tech. He grinned at Jane and then took a step backwards when he didn't receive a grin in return.

"Korsak? What have we got?" she said, turning her attention from the doctor.

"Nothing much, neither are saying anything but blaming the other. The driver of this car though, he has been drinking. I'm going to go on the bus with him. I wanna be there when they draw his blood."

"Yeah, okay, I'll wrap up here with Frankie and meet you back at the station."

"Bring coffee!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"It's your turn, old man," she called back, grinning at him, though she already knew that she would bring him coffee. "Maura?" she whined when the trunk still wasn't open.

"Fine, Jane. I am done. Josh, if you wouldn't mind?" she asked sweetly, moving from one side of the trunk to where Jane stood, waiting for the big reveal.

Josh moved forward and popped the lock.

Boom.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"What the hell…" Jane said, looking around her as she reached for her gun. It wasn't there. "Maura? Maura? You here?"

"Jane!" The detective turned to find her best friend standing just a few feet away. Her outfit had changed. She had been wearing a red dress; now it was blue. The same blue dress that had quickly risen to the top of Jane's favourites list. When Jane looked down, she realised she too was wearing something new: peach quarter length trousers and a matching camisole.

"What the…"

"Jane? Why are you wearing that?" Her eyes narrowed at the detective as they swept up and down her body before finally settling back on her face.

"I don't know…why? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing; in fact, it's a very nice outfit, suits you…perfectly!" The doctor's eyes wandered up and down once more, more slowly this time. If she could have picked an outfit for Jane, this would have been it. Casual and relaxed, yet sexy and sophisticated. "I don't understand what's happening?"

"Me either. Where is everyone?" Jane looked around once more. "And where the hell are we?"

"Jane? Was that door there a moment ago?" Maura asked, her forefinger pointing towards the large oak door. There appeared to be a kind of fog that hung low around the floor and was sweeping towards them.

"I don't think so, Maura." Jane reached out and took her friend's hand. "Come on, let's find out what on Earth is happening."

Reaching the door, Jane looked at it, confusion written all over her face. There was no wall. She peered around the door and all she could see was the back of the door. She walked around it and came back to where she had stood. "This is ridiculous."

Maura took a step forwards. The number 1 appeared right in front of her eyes. She knocked. The door was solid. Jane rolled her eyes at her, but she shrugged it off and knocked again.

"Well, I guess nobody's there," Jane smirked. She reached out and twisted the knob. The door opened and revealed a room. They both stared through. A couch and a table, all in white. Jane walked back around the door and came back to the same place she began with no sign of a couch or a table on the other side. She peeked inside. "This is weird, Maura. We must be in one of your dreams."

"My dream? Why my dream?"

"Because Maura, if this was my dream it would be a hell of a lot more simple than magic rooms," Jane scoffed. "What I don't understand is how, two minutes ago I was standing in the middle of Albany Street with a potential body in a car trunk and now we are here, wherever here is!"

Maura considered the evidence. She looked around the door just as Jane had done. She noted the foggy mist that engulfed their feet and the fact that actually, now that she thought about it, she couldn't feel anything beneath her feet. Everything was white, except for the door. Her last cognitive thought had been a click sound that she had heard just as Josh had popped the trunk.

"Jane? I have a theory, and I'm not sure even I can believe it, but I think…we're in Heaven."

Jane turned her head towards her, giving her her most serious 'Don't fuck with me now' glare. "Maura." She breathed deeply, or did she? She made the movement of sucking up air through her nostrils, but she couldn't be sure anything actually happened. "Maura, you of all people? You're a scientist Maura, you don't even believe in heaven!"

"Well, no…yes, you're right, I am a scientist, and actually what I have always said is that I don't believe in something I can't prove…" She held a finger up to stop Jane from interrupting her. "See, it's not possible for there to be a door that we can see through and walk through into a room, and yet there is nothing behind it." Jane tried to interrupt again, and again she held her palm up and stopped her. "Jane, what are we standing on?" The detective looked confused, but she glanced downwards. She lifted her left foot and then her right, then her left again, and over and over until she finally looked back up and into hazel eyes that were sparkling with an 'I told you so.'

"Maura, it's a frigging cloud." Jane's eye's widened at the obviousness of it all.

"I know, at least that's the conclusion I have come to, but without a lab to scientifically test…"

"Maura, you just told me we're in Heaven, I think we're way past labs and tests, don't you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

With bravado pulsing through her being, Jane Rizzoli grabbed Maura by the hand and dragged her through the door.

She wandered around, looking for anything that would give her a clue. Maura took a seat on the couch. Sitting upright, her leg crossed over the other, she watched the tall detective as she stomped in movement only. There was no sound from her steps.

"What the…" Jane said, causing Maura to turn herself. The door had gone. When they both turned back around, they almost jumped out of their skins. A man stood there.

"Hello," he said with a smile. "I see you found your way."

"Where are we? Who are you? What's going on?" Jane threw questions at him before he had a chance to answer the previous. He continued to smile, and it annoyed her even more. "Look, what the hell's happening here?

"I can assure you, Ms Rizzoli, that Hell is definitely not happening here." He chuckled at his own little joke. Her glare brought a halt to his comedic talents. "Okay, well I believe here is what is commonly known as The Pearly Gates."

Jane looked around him and then at Maura, who shrugged her shoulders and remained sitting, quietly. There was no point in trying to lead Jane from the path she was set on: discovering where they were and what was happening.

"I don't see any gates," she said, waving her hand around the room. "There are definitely no gates, pearly or otherwise."

"That is true, there has never been."

"Then why..."

"We have no idea…man has a propensity for making things up!" He giggled once more. Maura found herself smiling along; he seemed quite charming. "Anyway, my name's Pete and it's my job to give you the rundown."

"Pete? As in Peter, Saint Peter?"

"Peter, yes, Peter Saint actually, like I said, man makes things up." This time when he smiled, Jane followed. "So, yes you are in Heaven, no you're not dead…"

"But, we're at the Pearly Gates…"

"Well, no, actually this is what you guys call Purgatory…we prefer the waiting room. Only once you go through the next door will you will have passed the…"

"Pearly Gates…" She rolled her eyes at him. "Maura, are you hearing all of this?"

"Yes Jane, I still have my hearing. I seem to have use of everything…"

"Thank you, Maura." Jane turned from her friend back to Pete. "So, okay…you said we're not dead?" He nodded at her, smiling. "So, what are we?"

"Basically, you and the lovely Ms Isles…" He smiled and winked at the doctor, receiving a poke in the ribs from the detective, "Sorry, uh…So, right…basically, you're both in what we call, the Last Chance Saloon."

Maura took the opportunity to stand and move towards them both. She had questions of her own now. "Excuse me." She smiled at Pete and edged past Jane to stand between them. She felt Jane's hand press against the small of her back, felt the warmth of her touch. Which surprised her – not to feel the palm, she felt it often and enjoyed it – what surprised her was that she felt so much more in that one touch. "So, let me see if I have this correct. We, myself and Jane, are not dead, but we're not alive either?"

"That is correct, you're both in limbo. I think that's what you call it down there."

"So, we were blown up by a bomb, but we're not dead? What about Josh? He was with us when it happened."

"Blown up? Maura?" Jane quizzed. She had no recollection of them getting here.

"Yes Jane, just as Josh popped the trunk there was a very small but audible click and, well, then we were here." Pete was nodding.

"That's right, not many people actually remember their transition, Dr Isles." Pete actually clapped, and Maura did a little happy dance.

Jane looked back and forth between the pair. "Anyway, when this little love-in has finished…what do we do now?"

"Oh, well that's pretty simple. You both have a choice to make. You can stay here and go through the next door, where you'll find we have designated you Cloud 42."

"Sorry, Cloud 42?" Jane asked.

"Yes, it's our little joke," he sniggered, "Again, you guys down there have this crazy notion that we all live on clouds up here, so…it's actually very nice little apartment overlooking Omaha." As he spoke, another door, identical to the first, appeared behind him, the number 2 clearly marked on it.

"Not an option…what else?" Jane said.

"Omaha isn't really that appealing I agree, but…"

"No, Maura, just…No." She turned back to Pete and waited for him to continue.

"Then the other option is you return back to Earth to continue living your lives."

Jane threw up her hands. She wasn't sure that they weren't dealing with an idiot here. What was there to even think about!? "Okay, so let's do that then…"

"Wait," Maura stepped in. "If we were to go back, we'd be blown up?"

"No, you'll return exactly where you were, but you will find a body inside the trunk."

"Right, so let's go… come on," Jane urged.

Maura was squinting, the cogs inside her brain turning and coming up with another question. "Whose body?"

Pete smiled sadly. "You'll find the body of your lab technician, Joshua Benson."

"So, Josh will die either way?" Jane asked, her eagerness to leave softening at the news that regardless of what they chose to do, Josh would still die. She didn't know him well, he was new, but still, nobody wanted to see someone else lose their life. That was what they went to work each day to fight against.

"I am afraid so, it's his time, but you on the other hand…both of you have the opportunity to make a change."

"What kind of change?" Jane squinted at him, her detective skills identifying when she was about to be outsmarted.

"It's quite simple and well, I think both of you will get a little kick out of it." He giggled; they didn't. "Well, the boss woman, she wants—"

"Boss woman?" Maura asked.

"Uh yeah, oh, of course, man believes God is a man," he air quoted, sniggering some more. "She's not, but she does get a teeny bit peeved about it so, we don't mention it too often…otherwise, well she gets angry and you guys end up with an earthquake or…anyway, so she has been watching you both and quite frankly, she thinks you're both idiots."

"Excuse me?" Jane roared, taking a step forwards. Maura reached out a hand and, in an instant, her anger subsided. Pete smiled at the pair of them. The boss woman was right, they were idiots.

"If you go back, there is one condition. You both have to fall in love…"

"I am not getting back with Casey…"

"…with each other."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Maura sat once more on the couch – upright, both knees together, palms placed genteelly on her knees. She watched as Jane paced, back and forth, back and forth, until she was sure that Jane would just drop through the cloud via the groove she was treading.

"Jane, do you think maybe you could sit down so we can discuss this?" she asked.

"Discuss it? Let me see," Jane said, coming to a halt and dragging her hands through her hair in order to tie it up. She growled when she realised she didn't have a hair tie, which was very annoying considering she left the house this morning with her hair in a ponytail. "We can either die and live eternally with a view of Omaha! Omaha, Maura, have you been to Omaha? Because trust me, you don't want to spend your eternal life overlooking Omaha!"

"I haven't, no…is it really that bad?"

"Omaha? Oh yeah, it's bad-"

"No, I mean, is falling in love with me really that bad?" Her head tilted and she frowned as she looked towards her friend. Jane moved quickly to sit beside her. "I mean if we got to go home and see everyone again, is it really that awful?"

"No, Maura, it's not that awful…" She reached for the doctor's hand and held it between her own. "I just…" Big hazel eyes stared up at her. Jane swallowed and found herself unable to tear her eyes away. "Do you think we could?"

Maura breathed deeply, searched the face of the best friend she had ever had. "If I am truly honest, Jane…I think I already do."

Jane closed her eyes and let her forehead drop against Maura's. "We are idiots, aren't we?" She felt Maura nod before she chuckled.

"It took dying for us to finally realise and admit it."

"Yeah, it did. If we go back, we won't remember this though, what if we're still idiots?" Jane sat back. Her hand cupped Maura's cheek and the doctor melted into it.

"I guess we will find out, won't we?" Looking into her eyes, Jane was overcome with the urgent need to kiss her.

"Maura, I'm just giving you the heads up, but…I'm going to…"

"Kiss me," she said, breathless and sexy. Jane nodded and with no further comment, brought their lips together. It was tentative and tender. She felt lightning shoot through her veins and heard thunder roar in her ears as the kiss naturally deepened. Her hands itched, and not because of the scar tissue, but because they wanted to explore the woman in every way possible.

"Well, will you look at that, I see you have finally worked it out?!" A voice they both recognised echoed through the room. Jane broke the kiss and closed her eyes. Was it possible?

"Frost?" she all but whispered against Maura's lips, not daring to think it was true.

"As I…don't live or breathe," he laughed. Jane turned slowly. The man who had been her partner and more than that, her friend, was standing just ten feet from her. "Jane, it's good to see you. Though I see you all the time, so I guess it's good to see me, huh?" He laughed again, his brown eyes sparkling. "You know, for the best detective I've ever known, you really are obtuse."

"Obtuse? Really?" She couldn't help but smile at him.

"Yeah, and you, Dr Isles." He moved forward until he stood right in front of them both. He shook his head, laughing at them. "You have to be the smartest woman I ever worked with…and look at the two of you, walking around with your eyes closed."

"Yeah, well it's good to see you too, Barold." Jane smiled and stood to throw her arms around him. He was solid; she'd half expected to fall straight through him.

"Miss me?"

"Every day," Jane admitted, her eyes misting over. She felt the fingertips of a soft hand slip into her own.

"It's good to see you, Barry," Maura added, the smile lighting up her face like it always did. Jane finally understood that she was completely smitten with her doctor.

"Well, the boss woman said I could pop in and say hi, but I have to get going now."

"What? No…stay. Come on, we haven't seen you in…"

"Jane, Jane, Jane, it's okay…you'll see me again. When it's time. For now, you need to go back and fall in love."

"I'm already in love." She blushed, feeling Maura's grip tighten.

"Jane, the entire universe can see that you and the Doc here are in love. Only you two idiots needed to die before you worked it out."

"He is right, Jane…we just said as much ourselves." Jane nodded at Maura's words, smiling at her lovingly.

The door behind Barry Frost opened. "Sup, Detective, Doctor Isles."

"Oh my goodness, Susie!" exclaimed Maura. She moved swiftly to cross the floor, her palms wrapping gently around the biceps of her trusted lab tech. "It's so good to see you, both of you," she repeated, looking back towards Barry.

"We can only stay for a minute. You'll be going back soon and you'll forget about this."

"How will we know to fall in love if we don't remember this?" Jane asked as they all stood together in a circle.

"When you go back, you won't remember this, but you'll have help," Barry said, still smiling at them.

"And if we don't work it out?"

"You've got a week," Susie replied. "If you fail to recognise your soulmate by then, we will meet you both here and show you to Cloud 42."

"Hey, we'll be neighbours, I'm in Cloud 44." Barry grinned.

"I'm in 56," Chang added.

"Omaha?" Jane groaned.

"Hey, count your blessings. Hugh Hefner got Cloud 69, Tulsa!" Frost chuckled.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Countdown – Seven Days

The sun beat down as Detective Jane Rizzoli impatiently waited for Dr Maura Isles to finish her external examination of the trunk, bent over her lab tech as he dusted for prints.

"Come on, Maura. We could have a live one in there," she whined, though a slight smirk turned the corner of her mouth.

"Not with that amount of reddish-brown liquid you don't," Maura countered, her own grin beginning to grow. "Okay, I am done," she said, standing and moving next to Jane. "Pop the trunk please," she asked nobody in particular. A short stumpy guy in uniform stepped forward and popped the lock. The trunk lifted automatically and a latex gloved hand gave it a push upwards. The initial step forwards that they had all taken instantly became a step backwards as the contents of the trunk were revealed.

The body of a man lay curled up, his knees tucked up into his chest. He had a gunshot wound to the back of his head, most of his face obliterated by the trajectory of the bullet.

"Looks like a hit," Jane said, leaning in over Maura's shoulder to investigate.

"I'll know more once we get him into the lab, Detective." She answered in the way Jane had expected, but the way their eyes held one another was something that Jane hadn't noticed before. Did Maura always look at her like that? She found herself drawn to her. "You can go and do your, shoeshine stuff if you'd like."

"Shoeshi…gumshoe, Maura." Jane grinned. "I uh, I can hang around here for a bit." Being anywhere else right now just felt…wrong.

"Okay, well keep out of my way then, I have a body and two vehicles in the lab, Detective. The last thing I need is you nagging me for answers before I have them."

"Maura!" Jane feigned shock. "I would never."

The doctor grinned at her before turning back to her task.

~R&I~

Sitting at her desk, feet up and leaning back in her chair, Detective Rizzoli looked at Frost's old desk. She often thought about her old partner, but today she couldn't shake him from her mind. She was bored, waiting for everyone else to bring back all their pieces to the puzzle. She had done everything she could do, pulling information on the two drivers and the vehicles. The biggest question she had to answer was why it was that Marvin Valentine was driving a Lexus owned by Derek Osbourne, who was the driver of the Honda that had subsequently hit the Lexus. Normally that would be enough to hold her attention, but today was different, today Frost kept invading her thoughts. That easy smile on his face, she missed that face.

Maura had told her in no uncertain terms to get lost. That was an hour ago after her 4th trip down to the morgue. That too had bothered her. She often popped down to the basement to check on a case, but this was different. This was about seeing Maura. She missed her too. Now her thoughts were of Frost and Maura, both of them smiling at her.

"Yo, Jane," Frankie called out as he came into the room interrupting her thoughts. She wobbled in her chair and almost fell backwards, but the left heel of her boot saved her blushes.

"Jesus, Frankie, really? You gotta bellow across the room like that?" She scratched her face and tried to hide the embarrassment of almost toppling off of her chair. Frankie grinned and pulled up a chair next to her.

"So, witnesses to the crash were few and far between; however, the three that I did find all corroborated each other. The driver of the Lexus was speeding and being followed by the driver of the Honda. The Honda then rammed the Lexus. He lost control and hit the kerb and finished up buried in the tree."

"Huh, well that doesn't sound like an accident then." Her brain was whirring, she wanted to talk to them both, but medical staff were still working on them.

"No,it doesn't. Any word from Maura on the vic?"

"Nothing."

~R&I~

The click-clack sound of heels walking steadily on the concrete floor alerted Jane to the fact that Maura was heading her way. She looked up and noticed the sadness that seemed to have settled on her friend's beautiful features. "Maura?"

"Jane…I uh, I have the name of our victim. I'm sorry it took so long, but I needed to be sure."

"Okay, here Maura, take a seat." She pulled out the chair that Frankie had used earlier. "Who is he?"

"Josh Benson."

"From the lab? Your lab?"

Maura nodded and pulled a tissue from her pocket. "I'm sorry, I know I should try to be a little more professional, but it all just reminds me of Susie." She dabbed at her eyes gently. "Do you want to come over later? I could use the company." She smiled sadly.

"Yeah, sure, I'd like that." She returned the smile, their gaze lingering. "You have really beautiful eyes, did I tell you that before?"

Maura blushed under the scrutiny, but she didn't look away.

"No, uh…" She tilted her head and studied the detective. "I don't think you have. Thank you." She finally looked away and down at the floor. "Well, I should head back downstairs. Vince called, the driver of the Honda died and they're having the body sent here."

"Oh, right, well okay then," Jane said, seeming a little distracted instead of her usual confident self. "I'll take Frankie and go find his next of kin, have a look around."

"Okay, and I'll see you tonight?" She stood and smoothed down the creases in her skirt.

"Yeah, wouldn't miss it."

~R&I~

Derek Osborne had lived for just three weeks in a small condo off Parker Street. He had only taken a short three-month lease on Number 42, Cloud Court. She stopped at the oak door and looked at it for a moment. The number nudged something in her brain, but she couldn't place it.

He lived alone, no next of kin listed. Frankie had used the deceased's set of keys to let them inside. Other than the basics, this place didn't say home. He had a limited amount of clothing in the drawers, a book on the bedside cabinet, toothbrush and usual bathroom items. "Does this look normal to you?" she said. Frankie was going through the wardrobe. A suit hung by itself to one side. There was a tuxedo inside a bag that hung on the opposite side along with several shirts and three pairs of trousers

"Nope, I mean, I'm no fashionista, but I own more than this," he said, fingering the sleeve of the suit.

"Hmm, I'm gonna go and speak to a couple of the neighbours, see if anyone knew anything about him."

There were two other doors on this landing. She knocked on the first and waited patiently, but no answer. Door number two was more rewarding. Number 44. She knocked once and the door opened slowly. An old black woman, hunched over and bent, she looked up at the tall detective holding out her badge. The old woman squinted at it as she inspected it.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," she smiled, as the older woman pushed her glasses up her nose. "I'm Detective Rizzoli and I'm investigating the death of your neighbour, I wondered…if you could tell me anything about him?"

"The guy at 42? Not really, he moved in just a couple of weeks ago. Kept himself to himself."

"Oh, right. Did you see anyone else with him at all?"

"No." She shook her head and the glasses moved slowly down her nose again, only to be pushed right back up. "Although there was one person…hmm, yesterday I think, he ran past me down the stairs and then just a few seconds later, number 42 came running past me too."

"Can you tell me what he looked like?" she asked, her heartbeat racing at the possible lead. She pulled her notepad from her pocket and held her pen ready.

"Well, he was pretty tall and fast! Dark-haired, good-looking guy." She chuckled to herself and Jane smiled. "I may be old, but I still enjoy a nice-looking young man when I see one. What about you, Detective? You seen anyone that gives you that feeling?"

"That feeling?" Maura's smiling face popped instantly into her mind.

"Yeah, you're not an idiot, are you?" she suddenly said quite seriously, looking the detective straight in the eye and holding her attention. "Don't mess it up, if you found your person, Detective."

"Uh, right…so, this hot guy?"

"If I see him again, I'll be sure to call you, Jane."

She was about to reply when she caught Frankie in her periphery, waving. When she turned back to thank the woman, she had gone and the door was closed. She thought for a moment. When had she told the woman her first name? Shaking her head, she shrugged it off and sauntered back towards number 42.

She found Frankie in the living area, a large bag on the table. "Look what I found in the wardrobe," he said, grinning as he grasped the zipper and yanked. It was a Barrett M99. "I already checked with Korsak, that's a sniper's rifle."

Three days ago, the FBI had been swarming the area when a member of the council was shot from long range. The councilman's murder was still big news and they still had no leads as far as Jane knew.

"Get the crime lab down here. This could be our man."

"You wanna call the Feebs?" Frankie asked, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"What? No, until we know better, this is our crime scene."

~R&I~

At the hospital, Vince Korsak was becoming frustrated. With one driver dead, a body already in his trunk and the other driver giving a 'no comment' anytime he asked him anything. They were getting nowhere fast. His ID said one thing, Korsak's gut said something else.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Maura's Beacon Hill home was lit softly. The glow of lamps and the flickering of the TV greeted her as she parked the car and climbed out. She smiled to herself. Jane.

The detective had a key and would often let herself in and make herself at home. It was a sentiment that Maura liked, a lot – the idea that someone considered her house their home. But, more importantly, that someone was Jane.

Having Jane Rizzoli as her best friend was the greatest achievement in her mind. Her qualifications and career were wonderful, and most people would call those their biggest accomplishment, but for someone like Maura Isles, socially she was not adept. In fact, before Jane, there had been no best friend. She had colleagues and acquaintances, not a best friend. Getting a date was no problem, but holding onto them…that wasn't quite so easy. But, she had Jane.

She knew what people thought, that they were secret lovers. She heard the rumours, and she liked it. But, she wasn't sure that Jane was aware. Jane wasn't the kind of person to allow rumours like that to grow if they weren't true, and she had never intimated that she wanted to take their relationship in any direction other than where they were right now. That was, until today.

It had intrigued Maura when Jane had made the comment about her eyes. She hadn't thought too much about it until later in the day. It wasn't _what_ she had said, but the way that she looked at her when she did.

Opening the door, she was greeted by the wonderful aroma of something Italian cooking. It was warm and inviting. She kicked off her heels, hung her jacket, and wandered into the kitchen, where she found Jane at the stove.

"Oh, hey Maura," she called over her shoulder at the sound of shoes and rustling coat. "I figured you'd be hungry by the time you got home, so…" She stopped stirring and turned fully to face her friend. "Is that ok? You didn't have plans for anything, right?"

"No, no plans, well just to spend some time with you." They stood smiling at one another. Jane rarely cooked, and she wondered what the occasion was. "Stir."

"Huh?"

"The pot, Jane. Stir." She chuckled as the detective swivelled around on her heels back to the stove. She knocked the pot, and ragu splashed over the back of her finger.

"Oh, shit." Jane hopped back in pain, shaking her hand and blowing on the burnt digit.

"Jane, be careful," Maura said, moving effortlessly into doctor mode. Jane considered why it was that Maura had chosen dead people over live, because she had a wonderful bedside manner. She would have been a competent and reassuring doctor, at least that's how Jane saw her. She had the cold-water tap running and was tugging Jane's hand under the flow. There was just a small red mark on her index finger, it didn't even really hurt much, but Jane was enjoying the attention and the close proximity.

"I think I'll be fine, Maura." Jane grinned at her as she took time to check her hand over.

"Yes, it's superficial. I just, these hands are important…" She wasn't sure why she had said that out loud. She had thought it many times and managed to restrain herself, but now as she looked at the detective's confused face, she panicked and quickly added, "Shall we watch Netflix and chill?"

"What?" Jane coughed. "Maura!" Laughing, Jane returned to the pot, stirring gently and trying not to think about Netflix and chilling with Maura.

"Is that not what it's…" she was cut off mid-speech.

"No, Maura you got the saying right…I'm just…" she chuckled. "I'm not sure you quite get what it means."

Maura blushed, uncertain now exactly what she had said to create this level of amusement in her friend. "I imagine it means hanging out and watching TV, no?"

Jane shook her head. "No, Maura. Go google it."

There was that slight tilt of the doctor's head, a look of puzzlement mixed with delight as she picked up her phone and began typing into the Google search engine. Jane watched the myriad of facial inflections as they changed through from confused to blushing.

"Oh," she chuckled at herself. "Oh, I see."

"Yeah."

"Though I fail to see why…" This time she was cut off mid-flow by the ringing of first Jane's and then her own phone. "Isles."

"Rizzoli."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Countdown – Six Days

Peter Saint, Frost, and Chang sat together side by side on a proverbial cloud. Cloud Number Nine was a familiar spot for the three of them. Cupid, or Dave as he preferred to be called, had been busy firing his little arrows at the detective and the doctor. He was off having a nap right now.

"What do you think?" Susie Chang said to them both as they watched them go about their day.

"Well, I think it's early days still, but Jane is definitely paying more attention to the Doc, right?" replied Frost.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, and we all know Maura has been paying attention already…"

"So, it's a slam-dunk then?" asked Pete.

Frost shrugged. He had faith in them both, but he also knew how stubborn Rizzoli could be at times. "I've done my part, for now." He chuckled.

"Gotta admit, Frosty, you make a fine old woman." Pete laughed, nudging his shoulder into the shoulder of the good-looking former detective.

"That I do."

~R&I~

Detective Frankie Rizzoli had been busy. Set with the task of finding out all he could about Joshua Benson, he had looked at everything from what school he had attended to who his friends were, and nothing led to any reason why he would be murdered and found inside the trunk of a car belonging to Derek Osbourne. A car that Osbourne wasn't driving.

"So, what do we know about Derek Osbourne?" Jane asked. "Everything centres around this guy."

"Maura said his prints are not in the system," Korsak replied. "She also said that she found Josh's prints on the inside of the door at Osbourne's address."

"We need to find the link…something ties them together." Two heads nodded.

Nina hit some keys on her keyboard. "I've got nothing. It's like the guy just didn't exist," she said. "I have found though, several other long-range shootings, one in London, two in Paris, but three years apart. One each in Istanbul, Washington, New York."

"So, we could be looking at a professional hitman?" Jane said, her mind trying to piece together the information.

"Maybe, I did however find a jacket for Marvin Valentine, AKA Marvin Shepherd, AKA Marv the Carv. He has a rap sheet as long as your arm for stealing high-end cars and moving them on."

"So, he steals Osbourne's Lexus, not knowing that the body of Josh Benson is in the trunk, and Osbourne steals the Honda?" Jane surmised. "Who owns the Honda? Why haven't they called it in?"

"I pulled the details, it belongs to a Mr Wong."

"Gay." Maura's voice rang out across the room as all heads turned towards her.

"Excuse me?" Jane said, her cheeks lightly blushing.

"Sorry, I mean, Josh, he was gay. It wasn't something that was well-known, because nobody had ever heard him talk about his love life, but I found this." She held up a photograph of a man's hand, clearly Josh Benson's. "I ran an ultraviolet light over the body looking for any trace we might have missed, and came across this." She passed copies of the image to Jane. "It took me a while to work out exactly what it was because most of it is missing, but it's the entry stamp for a well-known gay club," she explained.

"So, we know he attended a gay club, so?" Jane shrugged. Maura's eyes lit up then as she handed off another photograph. Once more, it was a male hand.

"I sent someone over to the hospital to examine Mr Osbourne. That too included an ultra-violet light, and lo and behold!" She pointed to the new picture. "Mr Osbourne also had a small part of the same stamp on the back of his hand too.

"Maura! I could kiss you," Jane said, hugging the smaller woman against her. When she let go, she wasn't so sure that she wouldn't kiss her. They were so close to one another; all she had to do was lean in. It was something she had thought of doing several times, but she always brushed it off. Maura wasn't gay, she liked men and sex with men. Hell, she herself wasn't gay. Just gay for Maura, she admitted silently.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted.

"So, we're going to a gay bar, gay bar?" Frankie started singing, earning himself a raised eyebrow from everybody else in the room. "What? It's a great song." His defensive stance only made everybody more intrigued. "Ok, ya know what? I don't care what you all think, I like it."

"Well, that's good, Frankie…You can go over there and ask around!" Jane shouted after him. She realised then that Maura was still in her arms. "You uh, wanna do something later?"

Maura nodded, and Jane felt as though she were being dissected, "I'd like that, yes. "

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Detective Rizzoli?" A tall Asian man in his fifties limped towards her. "That you?" he asked in a Bostonian accent.

She unwound herself from being wrapped up in Maura and felt the warmth fade away. "Uh yes, I'm Rizzoli."

"Oh, don't let me stop you from enjoying some time with your girlfriend. I can wait, just over here. You carry on, smooch away, its fine. I'm just going to sit myself down…" He moved across the room to a free chair.

"Hey, mister…I'm not…she's not…" she turned to Maura and noted the flash of sadness leave her face as she plastered on a smile. "Maura, I'll…later, okay?"

"Sure, Jane. I look forward to it." She knew Jane was watching her leave, and she couldn't help the added sway of her hips as she walked away.

"Right, Mr…." Her eyes were still lingering on the shapely calves and heels.

"Wong. Just Wong."

She swivelled around to glare at him. "What? I wasn't looking at…"

"No, you're not _wrong,_ I'm _Wong_. Quite frankly I'd be looking in her direction too if she hung off me the way she was gripping hold of you, detective. I bet you have women falling at your feet, right?" he said with a wink.

"I, uh…Okay?"

"I live along the corridor from number 42…Mrs Barry, she said you came knocking…My car is missing and she said I should come see Jane. So, here I am."

Rizzoli fidgeted on her feet, feeling that pulse of anticipation that maybe something would break their way. She took the seat at her desk. "Okay, so what do you know?"

He sat forward and stared into her eyes. "I know a woman in love when I see one."

"Mr Wong, can we stick to the point."

He chuckled, "Yes, of course. I can see you're still struggling with it."

"I am not…look," she huffed, "You own a red Honda?"

"I do…Have you asked her out on a date yet?"

"No."

"Why not?" he asked, still smiling at her.

"Mr Wong, please, can we move away from my love life?" She noticed Frankie heading back into the room and nudged her chin at him. He sauntered over.

"Of course we can Detective, I'm sorry, I just know that life is short and we really shouldn't waste time being an idiot when it's right there in front of our face."

"Mr Wong, I need to get going. I have some leads to follow up. Frankie, can you take Mr Wong's statement?" She stood and grabbed her jacket.

"Sure, Jane."

"S'up Detective!" Mr Wong grinned. Jane stopped in her tracks and turned back to find Mr Wong staring at her, smiling. Just for a second, she could have sworn she saw Susie Chang looking back at her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Maura arrived home early and spent a good part of the late afternoon getting ready for her evening with Jane. She couldn't be sure – social cues were not her forte – and yet, she could feel it. Something tangible was in the air whenever she was around Jane recently. But it was her eyes; something had changed in Jane's eyes when she looked at her. She had always looked at Maura in a way that showed affection and even love, but this past few days it was more…vibrant.

She pulled and tweaked her hair into a fancy updo, clipping it all into place with just a few wisps hanging here and there. Her make-up was minimal; it was the evening after all and she wanted to be relaxed, to try and understand if there really was something more growing between herself and Jane. Up until now, she hadn't allowed herself to dream of such a thing, and even now, she wouldn't let herself get too caught up in the idea, because she could not lose Jane. She had to be sure, and she couldn't run tests on Jane like she could with other problems she encountered.

But she could bake!

~R&I~

On the other side of town, Jane and Frankie were going through CCTV at the Pink Flamingo. They had already spotted Josh Benson wandering into the club at just after 8 pm. He looked young and happy, walking up to the bar and ordering something with an umbrella. He was smiling at passing men, and a few even stopped to speak to him.

"He looks happy," Jane said to Frankie, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"Yeah, he did," Frankie replied, he looked at his sister. "Ya know, you look a lot like that when Maura is around."

She turned, eyes boring into him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, I'm just saying." He shrugged. "Maura makes you happy."

"Well, she's my best friend, of course she makes me happy. Watch the screen," she said tersely.

Josh moved through the club and entered onto the screen from another camera, hitting the dancefloor for a while. He had some moves and strutted himself around, dancing with one guy and then another, showing no particular interest in anyone.

"Wait, go back a moment," Frankie said. The guy in control of the tape rewound a little. "There, who is that dancing behind him?"

"Derek Osbourne." Jane high-fived her brother.

~R&I~

As Jane slid the key into the lock, she wondered why it was that Maura's house always felt like home. She felt herself relax.

"Jane, is that you?"

"Yeah, Maura, its me." She chuckled to herself. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the pantry."

"Ok, you wanna beer?" she asked, moving into the kitchen to the fridge.

"I'd love one…Um, Jane?" Her voice sounded small, which was so not like Maura.

Jane took a swig of her beer and crossed the kitchen to the pantry door. Grabbing the handle, she pushed, but the door didn't budge. "Wanna open the door, Maura?"

"I'd love to," she huffed.

"Okay, so…open the door then." She took another swig and enjoyed it as it slid down her throat.

"I can't, it's stuck!"

"What do you mean it's stuck?" She rattled the handle again, but it didn't give. "How can it be stuck?"

"I don't know…I came in to get some flour and the door just closed behind me," she said from behind the door. "Can you force it?"

"Well, I can give it a go, I guess." She placed the half-empty bottle down on the nearest table and shrugged off her jacket. Putting her shoulder against the door, she did a little test nudge and prepared herself. "Okay, step back Maura," she counted to three and rammed the door with her shoulder. The door didn't budge. "Fuck," she winced and rubbed at her arm and shoulder joint.

"Are you okay?" came the concerned voice from behind the door. "Please don't hurt yourself."

"Yeah, Maura, just gimme a moment. What kind of fancy lock you got on a pantry door?"

"I don't, Jane, it's just stuck."

Rizzoli got ready to try again, lining up her arm with the door once more. This time when she rammed it, it gave way and she crashed through it, flailing as she came to a crashing halt against the doctor, her palm inadvertently landing right on Maura's left breast.

"Oh, thank God," Maura cried, throwing her arms around her friend's neck, trapping Jane's hand between their bodies. "I thought I'd be here all night."

"Well, you're safe now." Jane whispered, enjoying the closeness and forgetting all about the case.

 **AN: Thanks for all the messages and reviews! I am hoping to get this finished over the weekend, but life does have a way of taking over so I make no promises!.. However, Speaking of Promises... My next book is called The Promise and will be out very soon! So, keep an eye open... ;) Cheers!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Countdown – Five Days -Cloud 9

Barry Frost considered himself a smart guy. After all, he had been a detective and he had learned from the best, Jane Rizzoli. So, he was a little disappointed that his stuck door trick had fallen foul of the one thing he should have known. Relying on Jane to arrive on time!

"Well, that went well," Susie laughed. They sat side by side, legs dangling.

"Hmm, not my best work. It would have been fine if Jane had arrived on time."

Susie chuckled, "We should have thought about that element when we planted the cake bake seed with Maura."

Frost nodded and smiled. "Yep, lesson learned. So, what is our next plan?"

"Not sure, we're not supposed to be interfering remember?"

"Boss woman didn't say that we couldn't interfere, she said we couldn't tell them."

"Semantics, detective." She smiled, "Maybe they need a wake-up call. Something big, if Jane thinks she's losing Maura?"

~R&I~

The morgue was quiet. Maura sat at her desk considering the night before. She could still feel the pressure of Jane's palm against her breast. Of course, it had been by accident, but still, she had enjoyed the feeling for as long as it lasted. She had made sure it lasted as long as possible when she threw her arms around Jane's neck and trapped her there. There was a knock on her door that nudged her from her thoughts.

"Dr Isles, there is a delivery for you." An officer she didn't recognise stood in the doorway with a bunch of flowers.

"Oh, thank you." She stood and took the flowers from officer, bringing them to her nose. "Oh, they are wonderful,"

"Someone obviously cares very much, Doc."

She searched for the card that would tell her who had sent them and pulled it free. Opening the tiny envelope, she read the typed words.

'From your favourite detective. I wish I could tell you.'

Her heart beat faster and she held the card to her chest. Had Jane found the courage to do what she herself couldn't do? She picked up her phone and sent a quick text.

Thank you, they're beautiful.

~R&I~

Upstairs, Jane was preparing to go visit Derek Osbourne. He was still in the hospital for now, and Jane wanted to finally speak to him. Until now Korsak had been dealing with him, but he hadn't cracked. Her phone pinged in her pocket and she pulled it out, reading the screen. Her face lit up as Maura's name flashed up at her. She read the text quickly.

"Maura is thanking me for something and I don't know what it is," she said. Frankie looked over her shoulder at the text and shrugged.

"Just tell her you're welcome, never hurts to take credit for something that makes them happy, Jane,"

~R&I~

The hospital room they had Osbourne held in was just like any other room, only it had a uniform on the door guarding it. Both Rizzoli detectives flashed their badges and walked through the door without knocking.

"Hey, politeness requires one to knock," his deep voice said as he looked up from his bed. They ignored him, walking further into the room. Frankie took up position at the side of the bed while Jane moved to the foot of the bed and picked up his chart.

"Fractured ribs and concussion." She looked up at him, smiling. "Looks like you won't be able to hole up in here for much longer." He didn't reply, just stared at her. "So, lets cut the shit, huh? You're not called Derek, you shot the councilman in a hit, just like you did in London, Istanbul, etc." He remained passive, just looking at her, but his little finger twitched. "You killed Josh, and the only thing that I don't know – yet! – is why?" The finger twitched again, faster this time. "And the thing is, that's all I care about. Why did you kill Josh?"

He chuckled to himself. "Sounds like a really interesting fairy-tale."

She smiled and walked closer to the bed. "Here's the thing. Right now, I am your best hope. You go down for murdering Josh Benson and you go to prison, the FBI get hold of you and link you to that murder in Istanbul…where do you think you'll be going next?" The finger stopped twitching. "I know where I'd rather be for the next 20 years."

~R&I~

The stomp, stomp, stomp of hurrying boots alerted Maura to Jane's impending visit.

"Maura!" Jane entered the office without a knock and was greeted by a bouquet of flowers in a vase. The thing was so big that she couldn't have seen Maura behind it if she had been sitting in a chair. "So, I need something, anything, that links this guy to anything!"

"I see, well I will put in a call to the magic fairy and see what I can do for you." Maura grinned and Jane felt her insides tumble. "Did you want to get lunch?" Maura stood and moved to pull her jacket on.

Jane used the opportunity to read the card with the flowers. Her face flushed as she read it. Who was the detective sending Maura flowers? And what couldn't they tell her? And how the heck were they her favourite detective!?

"You ok?" Maura asked, sensing a change in demeanour.

"Yep, all good. Let's go."

~R&I~

The Dirty Robber was relatively quiet for a lunchtime afternoon. Just the regular cops and locals were grabbing a quick bite to eat before heading back out. Jane saw their usual booth was empty and so she made a beeline for it. "I want a burger and fries and I won't hear anything else about…" Darren Crowe's appearance at the table put her off her lunch. "Or maybe I'll just have a bucket of chopped liver." Maura smiled but politely waited for Crowe to announce what he wanted.

"Uh hi, Doctor Isles. Did you get the uh, what I sent this morning?" he said, his face flushing.

"I did." She looked towards Jane before turning her attention back at Detective Crowe with a small smile. "I am very grateful."

"Right, great. Then I'll catch up with you later then?"

"That would be good, yes. Maybe this afternoon around three?" Jane watched the conversation back and forth, her mind a whirl of questions, but the main one was, What the hell? Darren Crowe and Maura!

"Something you wanna share, Maura?" Jane hissed when Crowe walked away. "Crowe? Really?"

"Oh, Jane, please. He isn't that bad…he has been very helpful lately."

"Helpful…Crowe?" She sat back in her seat and stared across at Maura. "Fine, whatever, so this guy Maura, I know he is our man. He murdered Josh, I just need to find out why."

"Yes, we all want that." She reached out a hand across the table and took Jane's. "I know that between us, we will find the answer."

 **AN: Hey all, just to let you know, I have a busy week ahead of me so I might not be able to write and post as often as the daily uploads so far, but rest assured, It will be finished! Thanks for the reviews, chats, hello's etc! Claire**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

At quarter to three that afternoon, Rizzoli found herself pacing. She had the case on her mind. Knowing that Osbourne killed Josh and she couldn't prove it was the biggest headache, but the knowledge that Darren Crowe was sniffing around Maura, just made her nauseous.

"Jane?" Korsak called out to her. "Nina found something."

Her feet moved her across the room and into the BRIC, where Nina stood at a computer with Korsak and Frankie looking up at the screen.

"So, I figured I'd see if there were any CCTV recordings that captured Osbourne or Josh, and I found this," Nina said as she typed some instructions on the keyboard. An image appeared on the screen above of two men walking down a sidewalk. When they came to a closed storefront, the taller of the two gently shoved the smaller into the doorway, and the pair of them made out for several minutes.

"That's Osbourne and Josh. They left the club together?" Jane asked, noticing Crowe stand up and leave his desk. Heading downstairs to meet Maura, she assumed. She glared at the back of his head, willing him to turn around, because if looks could kill, he'd drop dead on the spot.

"Jane…Jane," Frankie repeated.

"Huh, what?"

"Nina was saying that she has a partial map of cameras that pick them up on a journey from the club, to Cloud Court," Frankie replied. "You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good…You seen Crowe hanging out with Maura?" she asked.

"Crowe? With Maura?" Frankie repeated.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Jane said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Why would Maura be hanging out with Crowe, he's an ass," Korsak interjected.

"I dunno, he sent her flowers…from 'her favourite detective'" she air quoted, pulling a face. Korsak, Frankie, and Nina all burst out laughing.

"Seriously?" Korsak asked.

"That's what the card said." Jane looked to Korsak, who was still laughing.

"Well, anyone with half a brain knows that's you."

"Exactly… wait, what do you mean by that?" Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Come on Jane, everyone knows that you and the doc…"

"Me and the doc, what?"

He raised his hands palms up. "Hey, I'm just saying that you know, you and the doc, well you're close…friends."

"Uh, can we focus, people?" Nina butted in, saving Korsak from any further embarrassment. When she had all of their attention again, she continued. "I went down to the scene and took a look around. There's a guy that lives in one of those nicer houses across the street, Barron Snow."

"Really? That's his name?" Jane chuckled.

"Yep. Anyway, he has his own security camera, this is what it picked up."

She hit some buttons and once again the screen lit up with a grainy image of the same two men arriving at Cloud Court, arms wrapped around each other and still canoodling as they made their way inside the building. "So, they arrive all over each other, but watch this." The following clip was in daylight, the time stamp showing the date as the following day. "Joshua Benson runs out of the building, followed by Osbourne. Benson gets caught before he can get to the street. They have what looks like a heated discussion and Osbourne moves out of sight, hidden by a tree. Josh puts his hands in the air and moves towards Osbourne. He puts his arm around Josh and they walk back into the building."

"Okay, so did that look like what I think it looked like?" Jane asked and received three nodding heads. "He pulled a weapon on him and forced him under duress back upstairs?"

"That's what it looks like," Nina confirmed, "And then there is this." The next clip showed the time stamp as early morning. It was still dark outside as a figure left the building carrying a large bundle over their shoulder. He looked around, moved towards the Lexus, and opened the trunk, dropping the bundle inside and closing it quickly.

"But, the crime lab found no trace of blood in the apartment," Jane stated. Maura and her team had been over the place from top to bottom.

"Exactly," Korsak agreed.

"So, there is somewhere else in or around that building that he had access to."

"Thank you, Detectives." A voice rang out into the room from behind them. Turning in unison, they found a tall, dark man in a suit smiling at them. Beside him stood a woman in a suit also. She wasn't smiling.

"What can we do for you, agent?"

"Agent Love and this is my partner, Agent Teller," he grinned. "We're here to take over this case and to bring…" He checked his notepad. "Derek Osbourne down to Quantico for questioning. He is already on a plane, this is just a polite heads-up."

"But, this is our case," Jane complained. "He is my…"

"Not anymore. Don't worry though, we will deal with him." He moved closer to Jane and leant into her. "And you have plenty of other things to deal with." He winked. "Well, we will be on our way." He looked at his watch, "Oh look at that, almost 3 o'clock."

Three o'clock. The time instantly reminded Jane of something else in her life that was grim and obnoxious. Darren Crowe!

~R&I~

The sounds of three annoyed and angry voices rang in her ears as she turned and stalked out of the room. She didn't waste time waiting for the elevator, instead she hot footed it two at a time down the stairs.

Maura's door was closed and as she raised a fist to knock she heard movement. A chair scraping on the floor. She waited.

The muffled voice of Maura said: "Go harder."

Crowe replied with a chuckle: "Yeah? I don't want to hurt you."

Maura then added: "Oh, trust me, I've had bigger than you." She then let out a small moan that both repulsed and aroused Jane. But more importantly, it hurt Jane.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Countdown – Three days

Jane Rizzoli hadn't left her apartment for 48 hours. Listening to Darren Crowe doing god only knows what with Maura in her office had unsettled her, to the point that she had gone home instantly, virtually barricading herself inside her apartment for the last two days.

When she had arrived home, following a visit to the nearest liquor store for beer, she had pounded her fists into the boxing dummy, imagining Darren Crowe's smug face with every punch she threw. Six beers later and she fell asleep on the couch, curled into a ball, silently weeping.

Anger and sadness interspersed with beer had meant Rizzoli hadn't bothered to charge her phone and hadn't spoken to the outside world. She was sick; heartsick.

~R&I~

"Well, that went well," Susie said to Barry as he opened the door to his little apartment. He moved aside for his pal to enter.

"Yeah, ok so it backfired a little."

"A little? Jane is now lying in bed thinking Darren Crowe and Maura…" she grimaced and shook herself. "Nope, I can't even say it."

Frost smiled. "She thinks Maura and Crowe are doing the deed, it will be good for her." Susie's raised brow and crossed arms stance suggested otherwise. "Ok, look Jane is stubborn, we all know that, but…this might just be what she needs, she has never liked it when Maura has been seeing someone."

"Yeah, and she has still never told Maura how she feels." Susie flopped down onto the sofa. There was another knock on the door. Frost moved to open it.

"Barold." The boss woman said as she waltzed into the room without an invite, "A little bird has told me that you and, oh, there you are." She pointed at Susie, who stood in greeting. "That you and Susan here, have been interfering in a matter I specifically said not to interfere in."

"Ah, that little bird wouldn't be called Gabriel by any chance?" Frost asked, grinning. Gabe really did like to gossip, which was why he was perfect as God's messenger, the little grass!

"That would be telling, now back to my point."

"Ok, to be fair, you didn't actually say that we couldn't interfere…you said that we couldn't tell them, which we haven't, we've just been…" He searched for the right words to use.

"Helping them along a bit," smiled Susie.

"Hmm, well suffice to say it's all a bit of a pickle, isn't it? Fix it," she said with a poke to his chest.

"I have already begun. We thought a crime would help them flirt, but instead it's kept them apart as Jane has chased down the killer. So, we swept in yesterday and cleared it up."

"You mean you made it disappear?" Boss Woman stated.

"Yes, it's gone, and I borrowed a little something from Aristotle and now Jane will forget all about the case and only be able to think about the one thing that rules her heart," Frost admitted, grinning like a kid that just got an A grade. Those old-world doctors had some tricks up their sleeves.

"I don't know where to begin," Boss Woman said, shaking her head. "I just hope that you both know what you're doing? Because I for one will not be happy if things go awry, and can assure you, there will be a cold winter in Boston!"

"Yes ma'am," Susie answered. They both watched as the Boss Woman turned and left. "See, this is why I shouldn't listen to you, you always get me in trouble."

~R&I~

Still wallowing in her bed, Jane didn't hear the door to her apartment open. Nor did she hear the clanking of plates or the ping from the microwave, but she did smell the delicious aroma of Italian meatballs. Guided by her nose and rumbling stomach, she clambered out of bed, stretching and yawning as she walked.

"Ma?"

"Hey, Janie." Angela smiled as she moved around the small kitchen, wiping the countertop and moving things unnecessarily.

Jane stepped across the linoleum towards the fridge. Opening the door, she pulled a beer from the door, twisted the cap, and took a swig. Turning to her mother she said, "What are you doing here, Ma?"

"Maura said you called in sick, I was worried about you."

"Well, as you can see, I'm all good." Jane took another swig of her beer and placed the bottle down onto the worktop.

"So, I brought you dinner." Angela ignored her daughter's attempt to get rid of her. She opened the microwave and lifted the dish out, placing it in front of Jane. She opened the drawer and picked up a fork, holding it out for Jane to take.

"Thanks." She gave in and twirled the fork into the spaghetti. "I really am fine, Ma."

"Sure honey." Angela picked up the cloth and continued to wipe up imaginary crumbs and dirt. She narrowed her eyes at Jane and waited.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she said, a mouthful of pasta still unchewed.

"Like what?" Angela tilted her head to the left.

"Like you're expecting me to unload my soul at any moment."

Angela smiled. She loved all her kids, but Jane, she was always the one that didn't seem to need loving, not like the boys who would come running to her with every little bruise and scratch. Jane would get up and brush herself down, barely a whimper from her. "Ever since you were a little girl, you've never needed me for that. I used to think you didn't need anyone." She smiled again, and Jane placed the bowl down on the countertop. "That is, until you met Maura."

"Ma!" Jane warned, but she couldn't deny it.

"Maura says she hasn't heard from you in two days," Angela continued. "She's worried about you."

"So? I do have a life of my own, ya know."

"Really? Jane, I'm your mother. You might not think it, but I do take notice and I see a lot."

Jane rolled her eyes and turned away from the counter, grabbing the beer as she went.

"I see you, Jane," she called out across the room, coming around the counter to follow Jane into the lounge. "I see the way you look at her." Jane stopped in her tracks, dead still. "I see the way she looks at you too." Her voice softened as she got closer. She moved around to stand in front of Jane, watched her raise her arm and swig down the last of the beer. "You have to tell her."

Jane thought about it. She had two paths to take right now. Lying was leading the way. It would be so simple to just tell her mother how wrong she was and just how ridiculous it was to even think Maura and she would ever… "There's no point," she said instead. "Maura is already seeing someone."

"What? Who?"

She needed another drink for this. Uncapping a second bottle, she flopped down onto the couch and said, "Crowe."

"Are you sure?" Angela could barely contain the giggle that threatened to erupt. "Darren Crowe, he doesn't seem Maura's type, honey."

"Yeah, well you didn't overhear what I did and…" She felt the nausea threaten to force its way up. Her eyes closed and she took another swig to wash down the bile.

"Talk to her," Angela implored, "Janie, this is Maura. Come on, you're the best detective in town and you can't see it? I know you do… you're just too stubborn, too pig-head—"

"Scared," Jane all but whispered. "I'm scared, Ma," she finally admitted. "It's Maura…I never expected to feel this way."

"I know, Baby, but it's okay…we live in an open-minded world now."

"I don't care about the world, Ma. God, I'd scream it from the rooftops, I'd be proud to call someone like Maura mine." She looked at her mother now, caring eyes smiling back at her. "I love her, Ma, but—"

"But what, Jane? There are no buts…You love her."

"I can't lose her. I'd rather live in a world where she isn't mine, than a world without her in it."

Angela stood up and grabbed her bag. "Ya know, Janie. I have never once spent one minute of any day, not being proud of you. But, I am telling you now, if you don't pull your finger out of your ass and go tell that woman how you feel, if you let some asshole like Darren Crowe get the girl before you do… because you're what, scared?" She shook her head at her. "That's not my Jane. My Jane is a hero that shoots herself to save others. She's the woman that jumps from a bridge with no thought for her own life. Be brave now, Sweetheart." She leant down and kissed her forehead. "Be brave, Jane."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Countdown – Day Two

Maura stretched and yawned, rotating her neck and rolling her shoulders before standing. She slid the straps of her silk night dress down her arms and let it fall to the floor, enjoying the cool air as it hit her heated skin.

The heat from the shower as it hit her skin made her groan out loud. She ached, too many hours hunched over her desk. She was almost thankful to Darren Crowe, without him, she would be struggling.

As she washed her hair, she contemplated Jane. What was up with her? She hadn't seen her for two days and then out of nowhere, late last night, she got a text asking to have breakfast together. Of course, she had said yes. There was no other answer in her mind, she had missed Jane terribly. What was it they said? Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Well, it was certainly true for her.

But, how could she tell Jane?

With her hair dried and styled immaculately, make-up perfect and her attire chosen with care, she felt good. She checked once more in the mirror, wiping the corner of her mouth with her pinky.

She could hear Jane downstairs already. The sound of her friend wandering around her home as though she belonged tugged at her heart and sent shockwaves pulsing towards the junction of her thighs. She wished now that she had taken a little longer in the shower to deal with this…itch!

"Good morning, Jane," she said, breezing into the kitchen. Jane turned instantly at the sound of the doctor. Maura's perfume wafted past her and she breathed it in. She had missed that; missed her.

"Hey, morning,"

"Feeling better?" Maura asked, her attention completely on her friend. "What was wrong? I was worried, but Angela said you were fine, just needed some time out."

"Uh, yeah. You know, sometimes things just get on top of you and…anyway, I, uh, I missed you." She said it quickly, her eyes moving away and to the floor as she reached to the counter and brought a bouquet of flowers out in front of her. A bouquet far superior to Crowe's.

"Aw Jane, these are beautiful," she answered, inhaling the scent. "I missed you too." She placed them delicately down on the work top so she could find a vase.

"And I was hoping maybe…uh, lunch later?"

"Yes, I'd love that. I have some meetings this morning and then I just have to go through something with Darren and then—"

"Darren? I can't believe of all the men available to you, you'd pick him! You know he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you."

"Yeah, he does and, and I hate him," she spat out petulantly.

Maura raised her brows and took in the way that her best friend was almost at the point of a hissy fit. "Well, for your information, Detective. I did not _pick him,_ he is just fulfilling a, shall we say, need, for me right now!"

"Ugh, please I don't even wanna…" She grabbed her coat. "I can't…let me know when your _need_ is fulfilled and maybe then we can actually talk."

~R&I~

Her meetings had taken up most of the morning and she hadn't had a chance to think about Jane and her sudden attitude issues. But right now, she had a spare few minutes before Darren would be down to continue satisfying her need. Why was Jane so angry? And why did she think that she was seeing Darren? That was laughable, there was only one detective that she was interested in dating.

There was a knock on the door to interrupt her thoughts.

"Doctor Isles, are you ready?" Darren Crowe stood in the doorway.

"Oh, yes, please come in and shut the door, Darren." She smiled at him as she entered the room, taking his jacket off and folding it over the chair.

~R&I~

Jane sat at a table by herself in the café. Angela watched from the counter. She hated to see her daughter looking so miserable. She poured a coffee and grabbed a handful of sugar sachets.

"Here, at least if you're going to sit there all day you can have a coffee in front of you."

Jane looked up and smiled sadly. "Thanks, Ma."

"You spoke to Maura yet?"

"I tried," she grumbled. "She's seeing Darren."

Angela patted her shoulder and moved away, leaving her to wallow for a little while.

~R&I~

The morgue wasn't somewhere that she went very often. But today was different, her girls were idiots.

Angela got as far as the door to Maura's office when she heard it. A soft moan of pleasure. Unlike Jane, she waited it out. Listened harder.

"God, that is so good," Maura said, her voice a little muffled.

"Yeah? I'm just so grateful that you let me practice like this. It's not something I can share with people, ya know."

"Hmm, well it's their loss. You're really very good at this."

"Thanks, my ex always said so, I mean it's something I've always been interested in, but actually getting certified…I never thought that could happen."

"Oh, you'll breeze through it, and I am only too happy to help." Maura said, before another groan.

"Sorry, was that too hard?" Darren asked, concern evident in his voice.

"No, I like it hard." Angela's eyebrows raised as she continued to listen in. Whatever was going on, she needed to find out and somehow put a stop to it so that Jane could step in and get her girl. After all, she had always wanted a doctor in the family. Holding her little lunch bag, she knocked quickly and opened the door.

"Maura, I bought you some…." She stopped in her tracks. Lying naked on a foldaway bed with just a towel covering her butt was Maura. Her head lifted and turned to the side when she heard Angela. "Oh, I am so sorry, I didn't realise," Angela began to explain.

"It's quite alright, we're about done now anyway." Maura smiled. "Darren has been practising his massage skills in preparation for passing his Massage Therapy course next week."

"Oh, really?" Angela looked towards the detective, his shirt sleeves rolled up. He was wiping his hands on a towel.

"Yeah, but ya know, if you could maybe not say anything to anyone," he asked, Angela nodded and placed the lunch bag on the table. "See ya next week, Doc." He left the room.

"Well, I have to get back upstairs. Did you speak to Jane?" Angela asked Maura.

"Yes," Maura said, sitting upright and covering herself with the towel. "She has this ridiculous notion that I am somehow involved with Detective Crowe!"

"Yeah, she mentioned that…maybe you should just tell her."

"Maybe she should just stop acting like a…like a…annoying, spoiled, idiot!" Maura said. Jumping down from the bed, she wrapped the towel around herself properly. "Sorry, thank you for lunch. I need to get changed, will you excuse me?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Countdown – D Day

"Barold Frost!" roared Boss Woman as she swept down from her chamber onto Level One. Barry stood with Susie and Peter in the waiting room. He grimaced as he heard the choir sing her arrival. It was pretty fun up here the day Bowie and Prince arrived. Most people, if they were honest, were a little bored of Elvis running the entertainment show.

"Hey," he grinned, all pearly white teeth, in her direction.

"Don't you hey me, mister," she growled. "What did I tell you about interfering?" she said. "Did I or did I not, tell you to fix it?"

"You did, and…"

"And, I am here because imminently I will be introducing myself to two women I didn't want here yet!"

"We still have time. We just have to have a little faith." He grinned again. She liked Barold Frost, he had potential as a guardian, but first he must learn when to back away and when to get involved.

"Faith is all we ever have, Barry," Peter said, slapping him on the back as he followed the Boss out of the door.

When they were alone, Susie turned to the window and looked out. "So, what do we do next?"

Barry crossed the room and then his arms, looking out at the same view: a split screen, if you like, of Jane's apartment and Maura's home. The detective was pacing back and forth. She would pick up her phone, check the screen, and then drop it back down on the countertop before beginning her pacing all over again. Maura sat quietly, legs crossed, palms face up with her forefingers and thumbs connecting. Both of them on a loop of misery and consternation at the other.

"We do what we should have done right from the start," he said, his jaw tightening as he realised what was at risk if they failed.

~R&I~

Rizzoli paced. It was what she did when she couldn't decide what to do. She wanted to call Maura, tell her that she loved her and wanted to be with her in the way that might finally give her mother grandkids. But, the thought of doing it terrified her. Not speaking the words out loud, but the fear. The fear of rejection, the fear that Maura wouldn't feel the same way and that a crack would open up and gradually turn into some giant chasm that they couldn't seal up again.

Her phone rang and vibrated against the marble. "Rizzoli."

~R&I~

Maura Isles sat silently in her yoga room. It wasn't actually a yoga room, it was just a spare room with nothing to fill it, and so she had used it to spend quiet time. Time in which to consider her feelings for one Detective Jane Rizzoli. She could feel a make or break moment upon her, because she wasn't sure she could hold this in for much longer. It might just bubble up and explode out of her at any minute!

Her phone vibrated in silent mode next to her on the yoga mat. "Isles."

~R&I~

Maura arrived and parked her car. Her stomach flipped at the idea of seeing her best friend. Then in an instant it roiled as she considered that Jane might not be as happy to see her, or worse, wasn't called out on this one. She sighed and climbed out of the car, grabbing her medical bag from the trunk. A uniformed officer stood on the periphery. A 'Do not cross' line was in place. She reached it and nodded an acknowledgement to him as he lifted and allowed her under.

"Dr Maura Isles," she said, while he jotted it down on his clipboard.

"White shipping container at the bottom. Number 42." He smiled.

Jane pulled her cruiser into a parking space and looked around. The call had come in that a body had been found inside a shipping container on the east side of the docks. She looked to the car on her left, Maura's. She felt a tingle spread throughout her body at the thought of seeing her again, before a nauseating pain took a grip on her stomach. She sucked in a deep breath, tried to calm herself, pulling her aviators on before she opened the car door and marched over to the crime scene.

The uniform had set up a 'Do not cross line' and stood guarding it. He held it up as he saw the detective approach. "It's the white one at the bottom, number 42."

"Victor 825," she said, holding her badge up for him to note down on his clipboard.

"Dr Isles is already at the scene."

She nodded and moved away.

~R&I~

Maura reached the containers and was pointed in the right direction by another officer in uniform. It was hot out, and as she took in her surroundings she realised that any corpse locked inside a metal box in this heat wasn't going to be pleasant. Still, it was her job to deal with it, and deal with it she would. She wondered briefly where her team were but shrugged as she considered they would be on their way. Bracing herself, she pulled her torch free and walked inside of the container.

When Jane found the container, she looked around for Korsak or Frankie. Apparently, she was the first to arrive. She shrugged and moved towards the opening to the container. "Maura?" she squinted into the darkness, sniffing the stale and putrid air. Pulling her torch from her pocket, she flicked it on and sent the beam ahead of her. The doctor was kneeling over the figure of a man. Her bag next to her, she twisted to face the beam of light, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the brightness.

"Jane?"

"Yeah, it's me, Maura. You see Frankie or Korsak?" she said, stepping inside and walking forward. As she took her fourth step, there was a creaking sound and then a loud bang as all the light from behind her was suddenly snuffed out. "What the…" she turned on her heels and pointed the torch at the doorway. Moving back to it, she pushed on it, but it didn't budge.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"Jane!" Maura called out, her own torch now pointing back towards the detective. "What happened?!"

"I don't know, Maura. The door closed and now it's stuck," she said, her voice calm, if not a little irritated. "HEY!" she called out. "Can anyone hear me, we're stuck in here. Open the door!" Her fist pounded on the metal door. It shook, and the noise was deafening.

"Jane, please stop banging. They know we're here. Someone from my team will arrive or maybe Frankie or Korsak, and then they will let us out."

Jane considered this for a moment before accepting that it was the obvious conclusion. She turned back towards Maura's voice, shining her torch around the enclosure. "So, what have we got?"

"Well, from what I can gather in the dim light from my flashlight, we have a male body. Approximately 30 years of age. He has no visible signs of injury that I can make out. The head and face show intense congestion and cyanosis with numerous petechial haemorrhages in the skin of the face and beneath the conjunctivae."

"So, he suffocated?" Jane asked.

"Yes! Jane, how did you…"

"Because I listen to you, Maura. I'm not just some dumb cop that doesn't pay attention." She dropped to her haunches to examine the body, holding her hand to her nose as she got closer.

"I have never considered you to be," Maura said, rather indignant at the accusation. "I don't understand what has gotten into you lately, it's like you're picking a fight with me and I don't understand what it is we have argued about."

Jane stood, the light from the flashlight illuminating upward from under her chin. She looked ghostly. "I am not picking a fight with you."

"Really? You spent two days not speaking to me at all."

"I was sick," Jane cut in. It was true; she was heartsick.

"You were not. I know when you're ill, Jane. You get all whiney and needy and expect me or your mother to run around after you, bringing you food." Jane lowered the flashlight a little so that Maura couldn't see the grimace she pulled at the realisation that Maura knew her so well, too well!

"I was sick. Ugh, the thought of you and Darren Crowe…"

"There you go again, why do you have this obsession with putting Darren in my bed?" Maura asked, she pointed her own torch at Jane now. The detective squinted away from the light. "Firstly, I am not remotely interested in Darren Crowe. And secondly, he isn't interested in me. He is gay, Jane!"

"Gay! Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure, he told me, and I would hope that you will keep that confidence, because it's not my place to out him, but you…you're just being ridiculous."

Jane rubbed a palm over her face, the hand holding the torch dropping to her side. "I'm sorry, Maura."

"So you should be," she said, running her hand down her neck. "It's so hot."

"Yeah, it is," Jane agreed, pulling off her jacket and pushing her sleeves up her arms. "Why haven't they found us yet? We've been in here ages."

"By my reckoning, it has been twelve minutes," Maura said, undoing the top button to her shirt.

"Twelve? You wanna be a little more precise in your guessing, Doctor?" She could hear the smile in Jane's voice, and it made her smile too.

"Well, for your information, Detective, I had literally just recorded the liver temp and the time was 4:20. I just looked at my watch now and it's 4:32. So, yes I am going with twelve minutes."

They stood in silence for a moment, both contemplating the fact they were stuck and nobody had yet discovered as much. The only sound was their breathing.

"Are these things airtight?" Jane asked, moving back towards the entrance and feeling around the edges of the door for any sign of air coming in. "Maura, could he have suffocated inside here?"

"Well, yes it's perfectly acceptable to believe that might be the case. I saw no signs of strangulation." She moved towards Jane. "In a container this size?" She stopped speaking to do the math in her head. "I'd say he had probably 18 hours of breathable air."

"Okay, so we have 18 hours for one of these idiots out here to work out we are stuck in here."

"No."

"No?"

"I said he had roughly 18 hours, there are two of us."

"So?"

"Two of us breathing will accelerate the build-up of CO2. We would have less than 8 hours. But then that isn't taking into account the heat. We will sweat more, and with nothing to hydrate and replace the electrolytes…"

"Okay, okay, I got it…Jesus it is hot."

"I suggest that in order to avoid contaminating the crime scene any further that we stay at this end of the container." Maura used her torch to check the ground for footprints or anything else that could be evidence and found nothing.

Jane banged on the door again. "HEY! Come on, somebody has to be out there!"

"For goodness sake, Jane. Will you please warn me next time you're going to start banging away like that." She felt her heart beat faster at the scare.

"Sorry, I'm just…I'm hot, okay, and you know how tetchy I can get when I'm hot."

"Yes… you are," Maura mumbled.

"What?"

"I…I said yes, you are…tetchy. Take off your clothes."

"Maura! I am not taking off my clothes," Jane scoffed.

"Fine, then please suffer in silence." Jane turned the torch on her friend and found her half naked. She had already removed her blouse and was unzipping her pants. Jane felt her mouth dry in an instant.

"Jesus, I need a drink," she murmured.

"Oh, actually…" Maura began, but then took off with her torch in search of her bag. She returned moments later carrying two bottles of water. It was warm, but it was wet. "I almost forgot, I carry these in case I need to wash anything down."

"God, you're an angel," Jane said, taking the offered bottle and unscrewing the cap. She took a swig, let it whoosh around her mouth before swallowing slowly.

"Just remember, it needs to last us. So, sip," Maura reminded her. Her eyes were becoming a little more accustomed to the darkness. "Why don't we place our flashlights in the corners facing upwards. That will at least give us a little light until we are rescued."

With the light of the torches glowing brightly, they could finally see one another. Jane wasn't sure it was a wise idea now that she could see perfectly just how sexy the doctor was as she stood in just her underwear. Jane found it difficult to tear her eyes away.

"Maura?" she asked tentatively. When the warm hazel eyes looked up at her, she thought that she might just fall into them. "I'm not ready to die, Maura."

"We're not going to die. Someone is going to find us time now."

"You can't know that," Jane said, pointing to the corpse. "Nobody found him." She slid down the wall onto her butt. "I'm so freaking hot."

"Take off your clothes, Jane. Your body temperature will drop instantly. It's much more bearable."

Jane let her head fall back against the wall, but her fingers moved to the top button on her shirt and began undoing each of them until she could untuck her shirt and pull it off. The doctor watched closely, enjoying every small movement until Jane's torso was naked. Jane heard the audible gasp from Maura. Jane wasn't wearing a bra. She folded the shirt across her chest and looked across at Maura. The doctor was now sitting cross legged on her pants, back against the wall. Her eyes were closed.

"Are you meditating?" Jane asked as she watched the woman breathe in slowly before exhaling at the same speed.

"Yes, you should try it. It's very good for controlling our breathing, which will help."

"Right."

Maura opened her eyes and stared at her friend. "Jane, just for once will you please not fight me."

Jane looked at her, their gaze held and fixed in place. "Okay, Maura." Didn't she know already that she would do anything she asked her to? "If we don't get rescued—" She began undoing the button on her pants.

"We will, Jane."

"But, if we don't. If this is it…if my life ends here, with you." She yanked the zipper down and lifted her butt to pull her pants down and off. "If my life ends here, with you, half naked and withered like a prune. Well, I want you to know that…it was worth it." Maura tilted her head at her, not quite sure what she was saying. "I mean, everything. Since the day I met you and we, we became friends, it's all been…it's been the best, Maura, and I wouldn't change any of it."

"Really? Nothing at all?"

Jane looked away for a moment. She checked her watch, it had been an hour already. For whatever reason, and she couldn't come up with one, she had the thought that nobody was coming. They'd have been here by now. Something weird was going on, but she couldn't explain it, and if she was going to die in this God-awful place, then she was going to do so having told Maura just how she felt.

"I'd have told you that I love you. I'd have said a long time ago that you're my person, Maura." Her words were quieter than she normally spoke, and yet they hit Maura like a wall of sound, each word penetrating her heart and settling there. "I'd have made it clear to you that what I wanted was…" she gulped and took a quick sip of her water. "What I want, Maura…is you, and I know, I know that you probably don't feel the same way, but I'm not going to die a coward."

"Are you finished?" Maura asked. She was moving, crawling on her knees across the floor to where Jane sat. The detective's head dipped low and her eyes stared at the floor until she heard the shuffling sounds. Maura pushed at Jane's knees until they parted and she could shuffle in between her thighs. "I love you, I always have." When Jane's eyes finally met hers once more, she leant forward and softly kissed her, lips slowly working together to push and pull until both deepened the kiss.

There was a creaking sound as the door unlocked and opened a crack, allowing air and light inside. They pulled apart quickly, looking at the door and then at each other. Smiling, Maura jumped up and quickly grabbed her clothes as Jane hurriedly pulled her shirt back on just in time as Frankie popped his head around the door.

"Finally," Jane whined.

Frankie pulled a face. "What?"

"We've been in here for over an hour," she said, pushing past him to get some air.

"And we only just got the call," Frankie said, looking towards Korsak, who was currently talking to the uniformed officer she had met and signed in with.

"What? I swear to God I am going to kick some ass."

"Jane?" Maura said, her palm lightly touching Janes arm. "Let's get this done, okay, and then I think maybe we should talk, don't you?"

"You're right." Jane smiled, calming instantly. "We're okay?"

"We're more than okay." She smiled before turning to one of her techs and showing him the scene. Jane watched her, remembering the kiss and the sight of her in just her underwear.

"Yeah, more than okay," she mumbled to herself with a grin.

 **AN: Thanks for all the comments and reviews. Next Chapter will be the Epilogue and then this ride will be over ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen – Epilogue

The unidentified body in the shipping container would become a cold case, that much Jane was sure of. He wasn't in any system for finger prints. They would wait on dental records but from the state of his teeth, she highly doubted he had visited anyone in the last 10 years. The ship that brought the container in had come from Peru, but that didn't mean much. The container could have come from anywhere before being placed on that boat.

Maura and her team had gone over everything and found only minute details. His last meal had been a burger and fries, something he could have gotten in any number of restaurants throughout the world. His body would be held in cold storage for a period of time, just in case somebody came forward about a missing man, but then he would be disposed of. It was a cruel world.

Jane knocked lightly on the door in front of her. She had had to wait all day for this very moment, and now that it was here, she was nervous.

The door opened to reveal the doctor of her dreams. Maura stepped back confidently to allow Jane in. "Why didn't you use your key?" She smiled as she leant in, kissing the detective on the cheek. As she pulled back, she found herself grasped around the waist between two strong palms. The kiss was firm and confident as Jane slid her lips effortlessly against those of the Doctor.

"Because, I wanted to be invited in," Jane said, pulling away a little in order to look at her. Dark brown eyes swept across the doctor's face, pausing just briefly on her lips before settling back on hazel orbs that shone with emotion.

"Of all the people in all of the world, you're the one person who will always have an invitation to enter my home and kiss me like that."

"Good, because I want to be the only one entering your home and kissing you like that." Jane grinned. "So, we should talk, right?"

"I guess so," Maura agreed with a shy smile. "Come in. I have dinner cooking, are you hungry?"

Jane nodded. "Famished. Can I help?"

"Actually, it's all done. Just need a half hour in the oven." She seemed to blush as a thought occurred to her, and Jane couldn't help but enjoy the way Maura seemed to be acting around her. "I was planning on having a shower."

"Oh, well please, don't let me stop you."

Maura eyed her up and down, taking it all in. The swagger was always there, a little more subdued right now, but it was there bubbling away under the surface of that tanned, lithe, and toned body. "I wasn't planning on letting you stop me." She reached for Jane's hand. Walking backwards, she led her to the stairs.

"Maura?"

"I think we should wash away all of that old life, start tonight afresh, don't you?"

Jane Rizzoli was pretty sure that this moment right here, right now, might be the sexiest moment of her life to date. Maura Isles was inviting her to get naked and wet. For just a second, she lost all ability to speak as she savoured the words she had just heard. Her head was nodding before her mouth opened. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

~R&I~

Entering the bathroom that was adjacent to Maura's room, Jane felt a sense of peace envelope her. She watched as Maura flicked a switch and adjusted the dials and buttons of the space-like machine that would wash away their doubts and fears. When she was finished, she turned and smiled at Jane as she began to unbutton her blouse. Jane watched the show as the silky material parted to reveal the same lace bra from earlier, a rich dark red that stood out against the alabaster skin. Jane licked her lips slowly, enjoying the show.

"Are you just going to watch, or join me?"

"Oh, I am definitely going to watch, and then I'm going to join you." Jane grinned. Maura matched her smile as deft fingers continued with their task.

Her blouse fell to the floor, Jane's eyes followed before rising back up to find Maura waiting for her. The doctor reached down to undo her pants. She watched as Jane's eyes once again dropped to observe as her cotton trousers slipped down and pooled at her feet. She stepped out of them and kicked them to one side.

"I think it's only fair that I get to enjoy the same."

Jane smiled that cocky smirk she used when she knew she had you where she wanted you. "I guess that's fair," she said, her fingers moving to copy Maura and undo her buttons. "Although, you already know that I am not wearing a bra under here."

Maura nodded and acquiesced to her request. Reaching behind, she unhooked her own bra, and just as Jane reached the last of her buttons and opened her shirt to remove it, she let her bra loosen and pulled it off. Now they were both naked from the torso up. Jane felt her heart beat faster. Her mouth went dry, and yet her feet knew how to move, because before she knew it, she was standing in front of Maura. Maura's fingers were unbuckling her, unbuttoning, unzipping and yanking, until Jane too stood in just her panties. Their mouths met in a hurried and passionate kiss. Fingers pulled at cotton and silk barriers until finally, naked, Maura backed them into the shower cubicle. The water washed over them both, cascading down in a curtain of heated sensory offering, carrying away every doubt as fingers searched, probing and teasing, exploring the bodies on offer to one another.

"I love you so much," Jane whispered against Maura's mouth, smiling into the kisses. "I don't want to ever stop doing this."

"Nor I," Maura moaned, her head tossed backward as Jane's long fingers found that perfect spot and rocked her gently towards a climax like no other. Jane wrapped her arm around her and held her through her come down, stroking her and kissing her as her body continued to twitch with every aftershock that rocketed through her system. Jane grinned, enjoying the idea that she could ever cause Maura Isles to melt into her and drop to her knees…

"Maura? What are you…" Her words ceased to exist with one swipe of Maura's tongue. "Jesus… that's…" She threw her head back in pleasure, but the unique and magnetic need to watch and observe forced her head to lower. She found hazel eyes looking up at her as the doctor continued her ministrations at the juncture of her thighs. And now, right now in this moment, she knew that _this_ was the sexiest moment of her life, this singular moment in time with Maura Isles looking up at her through hooded eyes, adoration and love shining back at her. "Fuck…I'm gonna…"

~R&I~

Dinner had been burnt. It was only the smoke alarm blaring out that had alerted either of them to the fact that they had both forgotten about dinner altogether. Following their shower, they had fallen into bed. Unable to keep their hands off of one another, they had made love, over and over, until neither could lift another finger. Tangled up together, sleep came quickly.

~R&I~

 _Somewhere in her subconscious, Jane knew that she was dreaming, but that didn't make it feel any less real. She was standing in a white room with just a couch and a table. It all felt so familiar and yet, she had no idea where she was. She turned and found Maura asleep on the couch. She was curled up and sleeping peacefully, wearing that blue dress that Jane loved so much. Jane watched and observed her for a moment. There was a gentle cough from behind her. As she turned, she gasped. Barry stood just feet away. "Frost?"_

 _He smiled at her. "Yeah Jane, it's me."_

 _She felt torn. She wanted to stay with Maura and just watch her, keep her safe, but Barry was standing just across the room from her. "Where am I?" she asked._

 _"_ _You know where you are, but it's not your time."_

 _"_ _So, why are we here?" she asked, looking towards Maura before turning back to her old friend._

 _"_ _You finally did it," he said, smiling at her still. "And all it took was a little bit of courage."_

 _"_ _Yeah, how did you know?"_

 _"_ _I'm always with you, Jane." He grinned. "All you have to do is think of me and I am right by your side."_

 _"_ _Why did you have to go, huh?" she asked, her eyes misting with tears._

 _"_ _Because it was my time, Jane. We've all got a sell-by date."_

 _"_ _So, when is mine? How long have I got?"_

 _"_ _Oh, you've got a long road ahead of you, Jane. You've got the Doc here to keep you on the right track now." Jane turned back to see Maura._

 _"_ _Yeah, she's beautiful, right?"_

 _"_ _Sure is, just like you." He turned to the right and listened, as though someone was speaking to him. He nodded and turned back to Jane. "Well, it's time for you to go back now, Jane. Time to live your life and be happy with Maura."_

 _"_ _I won't see you again?"_

 _"_ _You'll see me again, Jane. Whether you recognise me though, I dunno." He chuckled. "See ya around, Detective."_

Jane woke easily. The sun was beating down on her from the open window. She rolled over and found hazel eyes staring back. A grin slowly appeared on her face.

"Morning," Maura said, smiling. "I had the strangest dream."

"Yeah? Me too, what was yours about?" Jane rolled onto her back, bringing Maura with her. The blonde snuggled in and lay her head upon Jane's chest.

"Well, I think I was in Heaven. It was this big white room and there was a couch. You were asleep on it, but I wasn't alone. I turned around, and there was Susie. And she told me—"

"It wasn't your time?" Jane suggested. "I had the same dream, only it was Frost that I saw."

Maura sat up. Turning to Jane, she looked for any chance that the Detective was messing with her. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, Maura. But ya know what? Right now, I feel I am already in Heaven."

The End

 **AN: So, that was fun! Hope you all enjoyed my little tale. If you did then please check me out on social media. My next book is out tomorrow, So if emotional romance tearjerkers are your thing... Have a read of The Promise! Cheers for all the fun coments and reviews. Claire**


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